Chair



R. K. LEE

Dec. 19, 1944.

CHAIR Filed Jan. 24, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l 3mm- Roqer K L ee R. K. LEE

CHAIR Filed Jan. 24, 1941 Dec. 19, 1944.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Boyer Klee Dec. 19, 1944.

R. K. LEE

CHAIR Filed Jan. 24, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Foyer K. L ee I R. K. LEE

Dec. 19, 1944.

CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 24, 1941 art/um 86 Foyer If L SWQQQQ Patented Dec. 19, 1944 CHAIR Roger K. Lee, Highland Park, Mich, assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 375,829

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to a modified construction of the so-called opera type of chair illustrated and described in the application for patent filed by Henry P. Nordmark, Serial No. 368,010, filed November 30, 1940, and by him assigned to my assignee. r

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a chair of the general character above indicated having a seat which is rearwardly movable ona substantially horizontal plane for a limited distance; to provide such a chair whose seat is upwardly tiltable as well as rearwardly horizontally movable; to provide such a chair whose back is so connected with the seat that a rearward movement of the seat effects a slight forward movement of the upper end of the back and a slight rearward movement of the bottom end thereof; to provide such a chair which when installed in one in a plurality'of rows of like chairs and which when occupied provides for ready and convenient egress from and ingress to wardly of such occupied chair; and, to provide such a chair which is comfortable and convenient in use, relatively simple in mechanica1 construction and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the chair showing the seat thereof in its upwardly folded position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the chair showing the position of the seat and back in the normally occupied position of the chair;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the position of the seat and back when bodily moved by the occupant thereof to permit one to pas before him;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the chair in vertical section showing particularly the mechanically moving parts in their positions when the chair is normally occupied;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the mechanically moving parts in their positions in instances wherein the seat and back have been bodily moved by the occupant of the chair to permit one to pass before him;

Figure 6 is a sectional view thereof on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure) '7 is a Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Figure 5;.and

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view showing the upper portions of the arms 24 and links 26 of Fig. 4 and illustrating their arrangement with relation to the chair back and the standards.

sectional view on line of for installation in a row of similar chairs intheatres, auditoriums and the like, comprises a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards [0 having an arm rest I I secured to the upper end of each standard in any suitable manner.

A bracket 12, having a pair of vertically spaced inwardly and downwardly disposed ears I3, is secured to the inner side surface of each standard It as by bolts l4 between which ears one end of a link I5 of a toggle is pivotally secured. The other link I6 of each toggle extends rearwardly angularly and is pivotally secured between a pair of vertically spaced inclined parallel upper and lower ears ll of a seat supporting bracket l8. The seat supporting bracket !8 consists of a plate and the ears ll are formed integral with the same. The upper ear H extends downwardly and inwardly from the inner face of the seat supporting bracket and the lower ear I? extends upwardly and outwardly from the outer face of the seat supporting bracket, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

The oppositely disposed pair of toggle links I 5, I5 are each disposed downwardly-inwardly at a substantially forty-five degree angle as best shown in Figures 6 and 8 which angular disposition obviates the necessity of providing an equalizing strut between the seat supporting brackets [8 to insure an equalized forward-rearward movement of the seat by the occupant thereof as hereinafter more fully'explained. I

A seat 20 is pivotally secured between each seatsupporting bracket I8 b a pivot pin 2| to permit its upwardly folding or tilting movement and a stud 22 projecting inwardly from each seat supporting bracket I8 forwardly of th pivotal connection 2| of the seat engages a stop 23 on op- Dosite sides of the seat when the seat is in its lowered position.

" IA pair of arms 24, each fixedly secured to an opposite side of the chair back 25 are each pivotally secured at their lower ends to the proximate seat supporting bracket [8 therebelow by means of the pivot pins 2| on which the seat 20 is pivotally mounted and a pair of links 25, each pivotally secured at its lower end to the inside surface of a standard Ill by means of a pivot pin 2?, are each pivotally secured at their upper ends to the side of the chair back 25 by a pivot pin 28. The arms 24 and the links 26 provide a linkage which forms a floating connection between the standards and the seat supporting brackets whereby a rearward bodily movement of the seat 20 by its occupant from its position shown in Figure 2 to its position shown in Figure 3 will effect a movement of the back 25 from its position shown in Figure 2 to its.

position shown in Figure 3.

providing for ready and convenient egress and V ingress to seat in the same row without seriously" disturbing the occupant of such chair or the occupant of a chair immediately rearwardly thereof.

Since each pair of toggle links l5, [6 are disposed at a substantially forty-five degree angle, the forward-rearward movement of the seat is equalized on its opposite sides and without the necessity of providing an equalizing strut between the seat supporting brackets I8, as the rigid unitary base of the chair seat 20 to which the brackets I8 are connected provides a connection between the rear toggle links l6 whereby an equalized forward and rearward movement of the seat supportin brackets is insured.

It will therefore be seen that the chair herein shown and described is convenient; and utilitarian in use, relatively simple in mechanical construction and is reasonably economical in manufacture, and While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown my be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A chair having a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards; a pair of spaced seat supporting brackets disposed between the pair of standards; a seat supported on the seat supporting brackets; a pair of vertically disposed links and a pair of vertically disposed arms, each link being pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of an arm, each link being pivotally connected at its lower end to its proximate standard and'each arm being pivotally connected at it lower end to its proximate seat supporting bracket; a chair back fixedly secured between the pair of arms; and a pair of toggles, each having one of its links pivotally connected to its proximate standard at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal and its other link pivotally connected to its proximate seat supporting bracket at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal whereby an equalized forward-rearward movement of each seat sup-porting bracket is insured.

2. A chair having a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards; a pair of spaced seat supporting brackets disposed between the pair of standards; a seat pivotally supported on the seat supporting brackets; means located on the seat supporting brackets and arranged in advance of the pivotal point of the seat in a position to receive and support the seat in position for use a pair of vertically disposed links and a pair of vertically disposed arms, each link being pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of an arm, each link being pivotally connected at its lower end to its proximate standard and each arm being pivotally connected at its lower end to its proximate seat supporting bracket; a chair back fixedly secured between the pair of arms; and a pair of toggles, each having. one of its links pivotally connected to its proximate standard at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal and its other link pivotally connected to its proximate seat supporting bracket at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal whereby an equalized forward-rearward movement of each seat supporting bracket is insured.

3. A chair comprising a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards, a pair of toggles located at opposite sides of the chair and each composed of front and rear link arranged at an angle to each other and disposed at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal, the front ends of the front links being. pivoted to the standards, and a chair seat having a transversely rigid unitary base pivotally connected to the rear links and connecting the same whereby an equalized forward and rearward movement of each toggle is insured.

4. A chair comprisin a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards, a pair of toggle located at opposite sides of the chair and each composed of a pair of pivotally connected front and rear links disposed at approximately a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal, the front links of the toggles being pivotally connected to the standards, a pair of spaced seat supporting brackets pivotally connected to the rear ends of the rear link of the toggles, and a chair seat having a transversely rigid unitary base connected to and carried by the seat supporting brackets and connecting the same whereby an equalized forward and rearward movement of each seat supporting bracket is insured.

5. A chair comprising a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards, a pair of toggles located at opposite sides of the chair and each composed of a pair of pivotally connected front and rear links disposed at approximately a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal, the front links of the toggles being pivotally connected to the standards, a pair of spaced seat supporting brackets pivotally connected to the rear ends of the rear links of the toggles, a chair seat having a transversely rigid unitary base connected to and carried by the seat supporting brackets and connecting the same whereby an equalized forward and rearward movement of each seat supportin bracket is insured, a chair back extending upwardly from the chair seat and pivotally connected with the same at the lower portion of the back, and links pivotally connected at one end to the standards and extending upwardly and pivotally connected at their upper ends with the chair back and arranged to support the chair back.

6. A chair having a pair of spaced vertically disposed standards, a pair of spaced seat supporting brackets disposed between the pair of standards, a seat supported on the seat supporting brackets, a pair of vertically disposed links and a pair of vertically disposed arms, each link being pivotall connected at its upper end to the upper end of an arm, each link being pivotally connected at its lower end to its proximate standard and each arm being pivotally connected at its lower end to its proximate seat supporting bracket, a chair back located between and carried by said arms, and a pair of toggles, each having one of its links pivotally connected to its proximate standard and its other link pivotally connected to its proximate seat supporting bracket and said seat being transversely rigidand connecting the seat supporting brackets whereby an equalized forward and rearward movement of each seat supporting bracket is insured.

ROGER K. LEE. 

